Hi everyone! Happy Friday! We’ve got a awesome guest post for you today. I’ve been talking a lot about working with my coach and promised some more info, so here it is!

Denny Krahe is a Certified Athletic Trainer and Running Coach specializing in helping runners prevent common running injuries and experiencing the joy of running pain free. He also hosts the “Diz Runs With…” podcast.

I’ve been working with Denny for about a month now while I’ve been training for the Syracuse Half Marathon and look forward to working with him as I tackle my first marathon this fall in Chicago.

When I started running, I was of the thought that for most runners (i.e. everyone but the true elites of the world) hiring a running coach was the most ridiculous thing in the world.

Funny how my point of view has changed, eh?

But seriously, a running coach?

A Running Coach Isn’t For Everyone

I’m going to say something that might ruffle the feathers of my coaching brethren (and breth-women?): You don’t NEED to hire a coach.

Now hold on just a second before you click off of this post and get onto all of the other things in your busy life, because I do feel the need to unpack that statement slightly.

Do you NEED a coach as a runner?

Absolutely not.

Just like you don’t NEED a special running belt to hold your keys/phone/chap stick/gels/whatever else while you are running.

You know what else you don’t NEED when it comes to running?

Fancy running shoes

Running shorts

Tech/sweat wicking shirts

Energy gels

A GPS device

Compression socks

KT Tape

Foam roller

NEED me to keep going?

When it comes down to it, all you really NEED for running are a pair of shoes, some shorts, and a t-shirt.

But if you show up at the start of a race wearing a pair of Chuck’s, some mesh shorts, and a cotton t-shirt people will be looking at you like you have 2 heads.

Somehow, we’ve convinced ourselves (and I’m as guilty of this as anyone) that we NEED a lot of fancy things, many of which are not particularly cheap, to help us be better runners.

And that simply is not the case.

A Running Coach is a Want, Pure and Simple

But you know what, so is every other item on the list.

Now, I’m not for one second asking you to give up any of the running “creature comforts” that you’ve adopted as a need. Lord knows if you asked me to give up my GPS or my favorite brand of kicks, there would be a serious fight brewing that you could not win.

What I am asking you to do is to rethink the absurdity of hiring a coach to help you reach your running goals.

On the surface, it may seem like an extravagance that you can do just fine without.

But everything that you NEED for running was an extravagance until you tried it and realized the benefits were there.

And that same logic applies to coaching.

No One Can Make the Decision for You

Can I be real for a minute?

I’m not here to try and convince you to hire me as your running coach.

Would I love to work with you and help you achieve your running goals? Absolutely, but you need to decide if hiring a running coach is something that is right for you.

If you think you could benefit from working with a coach, and I don’t think there are many runners on the planet that wouldn’t benefit from having a coach, I’d be more than happy to answer any questions that you might have about the coaching services that I offer or about the idea of working with a coach in general.

And if you do that, I promise that I’m not going to try and hound you into hiring me. I hate feeling pressured into buying something, and because of that I will NEVER pressure anyone into hiring me as their coach.

I’m working with her, and she can tell you first hand about her experience in my hybrid coaching program and how it works.

Ultimately, you need to decide if working with a running coach is something you want to do.

But let me just remind you that WANTS can quickly turn into NEEDS for runners, and before you know it you might have yourself convinced that you NEED to keep working with your coach! 🙂

If you are interested in learning more then we encourage you to connect with Denny. You can find Denny on most social media platforms with the same handle: DizRuns, so find him on your favorite platform and go say hi!